


Untagged

by fadedink



Series: Days of Christmas - 2013 [6]
Category: Leverage
Genre: Gen, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-07
Updated: 2013-12-07
Packaged: 2018-01-03 22:33:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 936
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1073835
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fadedink/pseuds/fadedink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Being an untagged 'super' is a crime.  But only if you're caught.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Untagged

**Author's Note:**

> The 6th Day of Christmas for [zortified](http://zortified.livejournal.com) because she always gives me interesting prompts. :) The prompt was " one of them is a criminal not for being a thief, but for being an unregistered (werewolf, centaur, mermaid, etc)", so this happened. And please don't think I dislike Sophie or that she's the 'bad guy'. Someone had to be the voice of reason, and we all know that Hardison and Parker are ill-suited for that title. ;)

It happens in the middle of the Siberian Trap job.

For the most part, the job proceeds according to plan. Nate and Sophie are schmoozing with the other guests, Hardison is monitoring everything from the van, and Parker and Eliot are in the process of breaking into the safe. That's when everything goes pear-shaped.

A security guard steps around the corner. Before Eliot can react (Parker won't, because she's too focused on the safe itself), the guard fires a Taser. His aim, unfortunately, is near-perfect.

Eliot has a split second to recognize the fact that he is well and truly fucked before the barbs hit him. As 1200 volts surge through his body, he goes down, muscles spasming, brain checking out for the duration.

_Well, fuck._

*

Parker turns and throws in one smooth motion. The knife takes the guard in the shoulder, and she's on him before he can make a sound. A judiciously applied slapjack to the side of the man's head renders him unconscious.

Then all Parker can do is kneel and stare at Eliot.

In addition to the convulsions (which she expected), his body is also undergoing some sort of weird transformation (which she did not expect). With each new jolt of electricity, Eliot shifts from human to wolf and back again. There are a few feline forms thrown in randomly, but it's mostly wolf and human.

Parker tells herself that he shouldn't be doing that.

After all, Eliot isn't tagged.

*

The overwhelming whine of feedback in his ear tells Hardison that something has gone wrong.

When Eliot and Parker don't answer his repeated queries, he taps into the surveillance cameras. When he lands on the one in the library, Hardison's mouth falls open and his eyes go wide.

"He...he shouldn't be doing that."

"No shit," comes Parker's growl over the comm line. It's enough to snap Hardison out of his shock.

"Forget the safe," he tells her, switching to the camera in the ballroom in an effort to find Nate and Sophie. "You've got to get him out of there."

"We need what's in that safe."

"Parker..." Hardison exhales explosively, but his fingers fly over the keyboard. "Fine. But make it quick, though. You need –"

"I know, I know."

All Hardison can do is watch and wait. It's the longest fifteen minutes of his life.

*

"What the hell do you mean Eliot's a – oh," Nate says, following Sophie into the van.

With the Taser disconnected, Eliot is no longer convulsing. But his body still flickers from one form to the next, rapid fire, as Parker and Hardison kneel on either side of him.

"This," Sophie says, "isn't good. It's not good at all."

"No shit," Parker snaps, anger bleeding into her voice. Hardison touches the back of her hand and her shoulders slump.

"Sophie," Nate says, his eyes never leaving Eliot, "get us out of here. Try not to draw attention."

"Just keep him hidden," she replies, climbing into the drivers' seat and turning the key.

Nate just nods. There's nothing else he, or anyone, can do until Eliot regains control of his body.

*

Hours later, they're back at the warehouse. Eliot's passed out on the mattress, Hardison and Parker still at his side, and Sophie turns to Nate.

"You know what this means."

"It means nothing," Nate tells her, rubbing his chin, and she knows that expression.

"Nate –"

"No, Sophie," he says, eyes shifting to meet hers. "He's one of us."

"He's not _tagged_ ," she whispers furiously, knowing that Nate is perfectly aware of the implications of that.

But Nate just continues to look at her. Then he shrugs. "He's kept it hidden this long."

Sophie throws up her hands and goes into the other room. Eliot is family, yes, but this... Well, this is bigger than anything they've ever dealt with in the past.

Untagged 'supers' are no joke in _any_ country.

*

At first, the sounds are nothing more than a jumble in his head and his body aches all over. Eliot fights his way to the surface, and the sounds resolve themselves into distinct voices.

"—just because he's a Were –"

"'Shifter," Eliot growls, then coughs, doubling up at the agony in his muscles.

"Hey, hey, Sleeping Beauty's awake," Hardison says, but his hand is gentle as he strokes Eliot's hair back from his face. "So."

Eliot glares. "I'm a 'Shifter," he repeats, silently daring each one of them to say a single word. "Damn Were...not in this lifetime. Lazy bastards, all of 'em."

"So what else can you shift to other than a wolf?" Parker asks, and Eliot wants to laugh. Figures Parker would be the one with that question.

"Parker," Nate says, shaking his head. He meets Eliot's gaze without flinching. "You're not tagged."

"My parents never reported," Eliot replies. He manages to sit up, chin lifted in defiance. "If you're gonna turn me in –"

"No, we're not going to," Nate breaks in, glancing at Sophie, who just shrugs and nods. Eliot narrows his eyes at the interplay, but he knows Sophie will go along with whatever Nate says. Even if she doesn't agree. "But this –"

"I know, it fucks everything," Eliot says. He runs a hand over his face, takes a deep breath. "I'll leave if you want –"

"Like hell you will," Parker snarls, going all Mama Bear on him and shoving him back down to the mattress. "We don't care if you're not tagged."

"It's life if you're caught with me," Eliot quietly says, looking at each of them in turn.

Nate just smiles and pats his foot. "Then we just won't get caught."


End file.
